Improvement in potato-diggers



ENOOII ROSS', OF WASHINGTON, IOWA Letters Patent No. 101,921, dotad April 12, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

Tne Schedule refandd to in these Letters Patent and making part-of the samo.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, EXOCH Ross, of \Vashingtom in the county of Washington and State of Iowa, have invented o. new and valuable Improvenient in Potato- Diggers; and I do herehy declnre that the following is a full, clear, and cxact description of the construction and opeiatinn of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making apart of this specification,` and to the letters and iignres .of reference marked thereon. v

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of my invention in perspective.

My invention relates to means for taking potatoes from hills, and consists in combining a. riddle and toothed spade together in the manuer hereinaftcr described.

The letter A of the dran'ings designatesthe 'shaftof the digger, arranged with a handle, a, and the bent teeth or prongs b b, secured to the bar O.

The riddle S is formed on the bar C, by securing t-hereto the \vires o c, which are also fastencd vto the bar H at their upper ends. Thus' the bars G and 'H form the sides of the rddle, while the bottom and ends are formed by the wires c o.

The upper bar H is hmced by the-rods m ni, attached to the shaft A.

Secured to the top of the shat A is the levcr Z, which is strengthened and seoured in position by the connecting-bumo t, jeining its upper end to the lower@ portion of the shaft..

\Vhen it is desired to take the potatoes from the hills, the prougs of the fork are' introdnced Vinto the hill by placing the foot on the bar C, as au' ordinary Spade is forced into the ground. Then, by pulling the lever Z, the fork, with its load of earth and potzitoes, is lifted from the earth, the handle a becoming the fulcrum.

\Vhen the forl-Z is raised to its fnll height, the earth -ztnd potatoes fell therefrom into the riddle S, through the spnoes between the wires of which the earth falls, leaving the potatoes.

The cross-bar a, is attached to the end of the handle in a strong and efl`eotive inanner, and is designed not only to serve for the grasp of the hands when the digger is introdnoed into the ground, but also is adopted to serve as the fulonnn in the shnking operation after the fork nfith its load has been raised out of the ground. In this capacity, its length preveuts the 'end of the handle from working into the ground, and at the sonic time keeps the fork from falling over.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to Secure by Letters Patent, is--.

In comhiuatiou with the fork A and riddle S, the cross-bor a and .lever Z, eouneoted to the end of the handle, and braced by the rod t, all construoted and arranged to operate in the manner and for the purposes herein shown anihdcscribed.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have here` unto snhsoribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.,

ENCOII ROSS. Witnesses:

H. Soomnw. WM. Scormun. 

